Aspho Fields

Not sure if this should go here so if not can the mods or admin move it

Anyways time for me to try and produce a book review of Gears of War; Aspho Fields, written by Karen Traviss.

Okay screw it, I've spent 3/4 of an hour trying to write one myself but it was crap so here is the wikipedia entry checked by yours truely for accuracy;

Gears of War: Aspho Fields is a science fiction novel by Karen Traviss, set in the Gears of War universe. The novel is the first in an expected trilogy and is considered canon material. Aspho Fields will mainly focus on the history of the characters and the battle at Aspho Fields, but also takes place during the events between Gears of War and Gears of War 2.

Spoiler:

Synopsis

In Gears of War: Aspho Fields, the Coalition of Ordered Governments prepares to fight off another attack by the Locust Horde against Jacinto, the last remaining human stronghold on the planet Sera. Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago will confront memories from their past, including the events at the Battle of Aspho Fields and the truth about Dominic's brother Carlos .

Setting

The novel is set on the fictional planet of Sera, and constantly jumps between different time periods both before and after the events of Gears of War. The novel delves into the final years of the Pendulum Wars Era, with particular focus on the battle of Aspho Fields. The novel also deals with events between Gears of War and its sequel, particularly in regards to the Lightmass Bombing at the closing chapter of the first game.

Plot

Flashing back 26 years earlier, a 10-year-old Marcus arrives at Olafson Intermediate School. His quiet demeanor and rich background attract the attention of school bullies, but Carlos Santiago is quick to rise to his defense. Marcus quickly becomes fast friends with Carlos and his brother Dom, and spends most of his time with the Santiago family, becoming an 'honorary Santiago'. The Santiago family is in sharp contrast to Marcus's own, with the Fenix parents putting their work before their family as compared to the closeness of the Santiagos. During this time, Marcus's mother disappears, further dividing Marcus and his father. Four years before Emergence Day, Marcus decides to enlist in the COG army, following Carlos's path despite Adam Fenix's intentions for Marcus to join the COG as an officer after finishing his education. Dom, at 16, is expecting a child with girlfriend and future wife Maria. He also enlists, becoming a special forces commando. A year later, the COG begin planning Operation Leveler, a covert assault on an enemy research facility developing the Hammer of Dawn at Aspho Fields. Dom's squad is selected to infiltrate the base, while the COG army surround and protect the base from any attempt at attack. Although the battle is a pivotal event of the Pendulum Wars the war is also notable as important Gears perish during this time, such as Anya Stroud's mother, Major Helena Stroud, as well as Dom's brother, Carlos.

Returning to the past, the story picks up with the continued planning for the invasion of Aspho Point, with both then-Major Hoffman and Adam Fenix taking part in the plans for the operation. It is revealed that the area near the research facility has been reinforced albeit in the wrong position, but the COG continue with the covert operation. The commando squad led by Hoffman that includes Dom infiltrates the base and begins capturing personnel and data. At the same time, the COG land ashore north of Aspho Fields and establish themselves along Aspho Point to divert the Pellegrian forces from the COG forces' objectives. The covert mission's secrecy is compromised when a lone security guard in the research facility manages to evade capture and alert the nearby reinforcements. While the commandos struggle to complete their task, the main army comes under attack.

During the present course of the novel, the story picks up one week after the insertion of the lightmass bomb in the first game. During this time, Marcus and the rest of Delta Squad unexpectedly find Bernadette Mataki, a Gear that had been Marcus' superior during Operation Leveler. As a result of this, her reappearance causes Dom to question Carlos' death again nearly 18 years afterward.

Main Characters

Carlos Santiago

Carlos Santiago is Marcus Fenix' first friend, and throughout the book their friendship is obviously very close. Carlos is the older brother of Dominic Santiago, Carlos is a gear in the same unit as Marcus; in the novel, they fight together through the battle of Aspho Fields. Near the end of the book, Carlos is shot in the legs and stomach while making a break for cover; two other Gears, Jakovs and Hurnann, are killed while trying to save him. Marcus and Bernadette Mataki try to save Carlos, much to his vehement objection; he even persuades Mataki to raise her rifle and shoot him. Marcus tries to extract Carlos from his position despite the danger that he is about to put himself in, but Carlos blows himself up with a grenade first. Carlos' death and the circumstances surrounding it serve as the emotional conflict between Marcus and Dom for most of the novel.

Dominic Santiago

Dominic or Dom Santiago is Carlos's kid brother, he has a close relationship with Marcus and is the secondary protagonist in the game. He thinks of his wife Maria often and his two kids. Dom joins the COG army as a commando to provide for his wife Maria and his newborn Benedicto. He thinks of Marcus as his very close brother, Marcus promised Carlos to look after him when Dom is really looking after Marcus and trying to reconnect him and his father.

Marcus Fenix

Marcus Fenix is the leader of Delta Squad, and is the primary protagonist of the book. He does not like to ever show any emotion to anything because of his past. He went through school from age 10 with Carlos, and has shared a close friendship with Carlos. Marcus has a very distant relationship with his father throughout the novel and as a result of it spent most of his time at the Santiagos' home. Marcus further detaches himself from his father when his mother goes missing, with his father refusing to explain where she is or why she is there; Marcus later finds her body and discovers that she had been doing some classified COG research, but never finds out what it had been. Marcus fights alongside Carlos at Aspho Point, and, after Carlos' death, carries his remains all the way back to the King Raven for extraction. When Bernadette Mataki reappears in the novel she only serves to remind Marcus of his guilt for not being able to save Carlos at Aspho Point.

Victor Hoffman

Victor Hoffman is portrayed as an angry and resentful person throughout the present day portions of the book, but as a hard working soldier as well as an effective leader in the past portions. Throughout the present day portions, Hoffman repeatedly thinks back to the day he left Marcus to rot in prison and berates himself for it despite Marcus' apparent lack of reaction. He leads Delta Squad and a group of veteren gears and civilian volunteers in a convoy to protect and retrieve food from the countryside. They are continuously attacked by Locust grubs and as a result Hoffman and Tai Kaliso are cut off from the rest. In past portions, Hoffman leads a squad of COG special Forces including Dom Santiago; it is during these portions that Hoffman's thoughts are examined in depth, such as his constant battle between his desire for morality and the orders of his superiors.